quarter of a century

a letter to me.

twenty-five years. 25. viente y cinco. a quarter of a century. holy cow. it is really hard to believe. and yet, where has the time gone? you must have had the best twenty-five years that anyone could have ever hoped or wished for. sure, there has been heartache. yes, there has been grief. of course, there has been disappointment. hell yeah, there has been uncertainty. but none of that overshadows the complete and utter joy. the love. the perfection. nothing. give those happy memories as much weight as the hard ones. give thanks to the people in your life that have made those happy memories possible. give yourself credit for getting through that hard stuff.

the next twenty-five years are sure to be as good, if not better, than the first. i hope that it is filled with success and family and love and fulfillment. please remember where you were on this very day. confused, but confident. uneasy, yet unwavering. lost, but loved. hoping, yet happy. remember what you did to get to this point. hard work, hard faith, hard belief.  the next twenty-five are not going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it. trust me.

spend time with your family and friends. they won't be here forever. and it's gonna suck when you have to say goodbye. but there will be another day. and that day is going to be sweet. thank them for the exponential gifts that they give to you. the knowledge, love and support. make them laugh. laugh with them. enjoy every minute in their presence.

my hope for you is that you will feel fulfilled. and content. and be happy with where you are at any given time. stop looking to the future for answers. trust the questions of the moment. stop planning and making lists [okay, stop making as many]. trust that you are on the right journey, with all the right rest stops provided for you. stop. and be. because when you do, you will feel at complete and total peace. and isn't that what you've been wanting all along?

here's to hurt, happiness, hope and health. cheers to a life of giving, gratitude and great love.